


Conversation in the void

by lakeflower



Category: Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21794563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lakeflower/pseuds/lakeflower
Summary: In the Distortion World, Cyrus reflects on his life. He gets an unexpected visit from an old friend.
Relationships: Akagi | Cyrus/Shirona | Cynthia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Conversation in the void

**Author's Note:**

> Written because I love this game and these characters. My first posted fic, sorry if it's bad.

Cyrus sat on the ground. Or at least a piece of it, it was impossible to know what was supposed to be the ground or the sky, between the waterfalls that cascaded in all directions and the nonexistence of day or night. Time didn’t flow either, so there wasn’t a way to keep track of it. He stared at the void, known as the Distortion World. It almost felt like a mirror, a place so vast and lonely with things floating aimlessly in it.

He’d lost everything. His goal, the only motivation is his life, destroyed. All the sacrifices made were in vain, the world around him an eternal reminder of what his perfect reality would’ve been. Maybe that is why Giratina had brought him there. Instead of giving him the release of death, he would be left to think about his failures for all of eternity. In an unspoken language, as if whispering inside this head, Giratina would ask: “Was this worth it?” “Do you regret anything?” “What are you going to do now?” and other questions that that sounded almost like mockery to him. He knew the answers to most of them, but he didn’t bother replying. It was pointless stating the obvious, and he knew was being asked these questions to be tortured mentally. Or maybe he was hallucinating. Maybe it was all just a dream. Maybe he was already dead. At this point he didn’t care.

Giratina wasn’t around at the moment, probably roaming its world like it often did. His pokémon were resting in their respective pokéballs. He was completely alone with his thoughts now. Cyrus thought about his life. He thought about how things would’ve been if he had taken a different path. If instead of recreating existence he would’ve tried to fix what he could of it instead. If instead of being repelled by the spirit of every living being he tried to accept it. He thought about his pokémon, and all the people he had met. Someone always crossed his mind. He often thought about Cynthia.

***

She was his only real friend. Yes, when he was the boss of Team Galactic he was loved and admired, but also feared. It was a cold, professional relationship. What he had with her was far deeper. A genuine connection.

He remembers their time together. They met when she was visiting Sunyshore city, long ago when they were children. So many days spent reading about myths and legends together, all the times they played in the beach...there was nothing but the joy of friendship. As they grew older, they became more aware of the problems that came with life. He was starting to see how harmful emotions really were, shaping his new ideology, while she went through everything with unbreakable optimism and hope. But they were still friends. Cynthia had always been warm and kind, despite Cyrus becoming colder and starting to lose his touch with reality. He knew their friendship had to end.

It happened one evening seven years ago. He realized what he needed to do: Get rid of the spirit, and create a world where it didn’t exist. It would be for the good of everyone, everything. He knew the risks he was taking when he put himself in this mission. More specifically, how no one would understand him or his reasoning. She wouldn’t understand, and she didn’t deserve to be dragged into his new life. He told her to away and forget him, to live her life in peace, and never bother herself with him again. She begged him to tell her what pained him so much, told him that she would help him. But he had made his decision, and there was nothing she could do to. They said their farewells, and never looked back.

***

Would they still be friends if things were different? Cyrus wondered and tried to elaborate on the thought, but he realized it was pointless. He’ll never forget when he saw Cynthia after all these years, when Giratina took him to this place. The disbelief in her face when she saw him, realizing that he was behind the horrors of Team Galactic and that he almost reset the entire universe. She hated him, and he couldn’t do anything but accept it and drown in his shame and regret. Suddenly, he heard a sound. Then, more sounds. The clicking of high heels. The clicking became gradually louder, until it stopped. There was someone standing about a metre behind him. He didn’t turn to see who it was, he already knew.

“Can I sit here?” Cynthia asked.

”Yes. Yes you can.” Cyrus replied.

She came closer, and sat next to him. Their gazes didn’t meet. She watched the nothingness, just like him. Almost as if she wanted to avoid eye contact, but at the same time wanted to take a quick look at him. They both sat silently, neither of them daring to speak. This was the second time they had directly seen each other since they got separated, but this time they were alone. It was the sudden privacy that had muted them.

After a while, Cynthia broke the silence. “How have you been?” she asked calmly.

Cyrus didn’t understand why she’d ask him such a casual question, instead of berating him. It was actually hard to answer. How had he been? All the time he'd spent thinking in the distortion world had left his thoughts scattered. He had already screamed his lungs out to let out all his bottled up frustration and anger, and cried until there were no tears left to cope with his pain and sadness. These past days (or years) he'd only been feeling mentally exhausted, and regretful. “I don’t know” He said. After a short pause, he asked: ”What about you?”

She was surprised at his willingness to talk, so she replied immediately. ”I’ve been fine. I’m not the champion anymore, but now I have more time to study mythology. It’s nice to spend more time alone too.”

How curious. He knew she was an exceptional trainer, so hearing that she'd been dethroned of the position of champion was a surprise. He was going to ask who was the new champion, but he didn’t. It was probably the child who had defeated him and his entire organization. He didn’t want to annoy her. Before he could theorize any further, Cynthia continued her last phrase. “You know what I mean, right?”

She said that in a quiet tone, her voice empty. Cyrus knew what she was referring to, he knew the feeling. Everyone needed time to be alone, but this was a different kind of loneliness. When you’re surrounded by those who might love you, but don’t understand you. When you are alive, but feel nothing. When everything is artificial and you are disconnected. And only when you are alone you can speak.

“I know. Perhaps too well” he replied quietly.

Cynthia glanced at him for a second, trying to read his face, but quickly turned her head back to the side. “I guess it’s better like this. I mean, to stay here. This is what you dreamt about. At least you can be in your ideal world now…” she said, with the smallest hint of sadness in her voice.

Cyrus listened her words carefully. She was partially right in her statement.

“You are mistaken. This place is, indeed, what I envisioned. However, there is something preventing me for seeing this place as ideal. My spirit.”

She now turned completely to look at him. It was the same thing he said when she had questioned his reason when they first got here, but now there seemed to be more to it.

“I could always pretend. I could forget that I failed, all the things I did. Forget everything. In my mind, I could live here and be the god of a spiritless world. But that is a lie, and I can’t live in delusion.”

Because it would go against everything he fought for. She was starting to understand the meaning of his words.

“After all, I can still feel” he finished, saying that last phrase in a mere whisper.

Cynthia took a deep breath. Hearing and seeing her old friend so defeated and numb made her heart ache. She couldn’t bear looking at him, so she stared down at the abyss beneath them. She tried her best to explain her feelings to him, at least let him know.

“Sometimes, I feel the same way you do. That everything is false, and the only way to be alive is when I suffer.”

Cyrus now turned to look at her. He couldn’t believe she understood him so well.

Something changed in her. Her serious expression slowly turned into a soft smile. “But then, I remember that there isn’t only suffering. I realize that I’m alive when I can feel happiness, too”. She took a short pause, and then continued: ”Being here now makes me happy.”

That last part clicked something in him. Someone had put into words the repressed realization at the back of his mind. He didn’t know how to react.

There was more silence, and he finally snapped out of his trance to be overtaken by confusion.

“…Why? Why do you feel happy…when there is nothing to feel here?” he asked.

She turned to look at him, staring deep into his eyes. “I feel happy because I finally found you” she replied.

A cold ran through his spine. This was impossible. But his shock quickly turned into bitterness. He knew why she'd come to look for him.

“Ah. So you just came to see in what condition I was, so then you could finally give me to the international police. I can see why you feel so happy now” he replied coldly.

She was baffled.

“What?! No! Cyrus, I’d never do something like that! I only wanted to talk with you!” She said, defending herself.

He refused to believe any of her excuses, he’d lost his patience.

“Don’t lie to me! I almost destroyed everything, how can you NOT want me in jail?! Or dead?! I have done nothing but cause you pain!” he shouted, but before he could continue, he was stopped by her loud, strong voice.

“I came here because I love you!”

He froze.

“I-…I wanted to see if being here made you look at yourself. I hoped you’d regret what you did, and finally see that life isn’t all about feeling pain” she said, her voice trembling. ”I even wished you’d come back. I just wanted to see you again.” Her voice cracked, and she turned to the side, covering her face with her hands, sobbing.  
He couldn’t process what he’d just heard.

After everything, she still loved him.

***

They sat there for what felt like hours. She wanted to run away crying, but she couldn’t. He was completely still, immobilized by his feelings. Seeing the person he loved the most in such immense distress and pain hurt him to a spiritual level.

He just couldn’t take it anymore.

“At least one of your hopes came true. Because I can feel nothing but regret” he said dryly, trying his hardest to not cry.  


Cynthia turned look at him, taking her hands off of her face.

“Is that true?” she asked, her voice quiet but clear.

“It is. The only thing I have done here is think. I understand now. I was wrong since the beginning. But it is too late for me. I ruined everything” Cyrus replied, closing his eyes. “I am sorry”.

The tone of his voice told her enough. He was being honest. She roamed his face with her sight. She had never seen him like this. As if his entire being was exposed in front of her.

“Can…Can I ask you something?” she asked. He couldn’t speak, so he nodded.

“Do you want to come back to our world?”

His eyes shot open. He knew what she was implying. He’d be free.

He turned to look directly at her, and replied: “I do. But I do not deserve it.”

She stared at him deeply, seeing trough him. “You do.”

“Cynthia” he said. It was hard to talk when he felt like he was going to melt, but he somehow managed to ask: “Do you really forgive me?”

“Of course” she said, smiling warmly at him. She got up, and the extended her arm towards him. “Let’s go”.

He stood up with the help of her arm. When their hands made contact, he felt something inexplicable. Happiness, gratitude, relief all at the same time, like his entire spirit was lifted. It was a confirmation that this wasn’t an illusion or a dream. That everything he’d gone through was real. That this moment of indescribable joy was real. Most importantly, that she was real. “Thank you” he said, letting go of her hand.

They went through the swirling world of darkness, until they found the portal that Cynthia had come from. In the distance, something moved closer to them. It was Giratina. Silently, the pokémon approached, watching them intensely. It spoke to Cyrus mentally. A short while later, they came to an agreement.

“After discussing about my life during my stay here, the shadowy pokémon sees my new disposition. It is giving me permission to leave” Cyrus said, smiling for the first time in years.

“That’s great!” Cynthia said happily. “Thank you so much, Giratina!”

“Giratina? Is that its name?” he asked.

She nodded. “We’ll visit you again someday. Bye bye!” she said to the pokémon.

“Goodbye, Giratina. Thank you” he said gratefully.

Giratina’s piercing red eyes shined, showing that it understood. It was mentally saying goodbye. In the end, maybe Giratina wasn’t a punisher, but more of judge. And Cyrus’ trial had finally ended.

The pair jumped into the portal.

***

Cyrus’ vision was slowly adjusting to the light. He sensed a soft breeze, and heard the sounds of bibarels and staraptors moving in the distance. Now his vision was clear. He was standing on a field of grass and flowers, an opening in a forest. There was a lake with crystalline water nearby. The sun shone between the clouds. He looked at his side. Cynthia was there.

“Sendoff Spring” she said, looking up at the sky.

“The secret fourth lake” he continued, quoting a book he read with her a long time ago.

“This is the path to the Distortion World” she said, turning to him and pointing at the entrance of the cave that was behind them. ”I never thought you’d be standing here with me one day.” she said softy, turning her gaze to the lake.

Cyrus looked at the cave, then at the lake. It was strange to be back in the world. But as he kept staring at the lake, he was filled with peace. It was all over now. I was the start of a new beginning. He turned his head to look at Cynthia. In the soft light she looked ethereal. Not Dialga, nor Palkia, nor even Giratina could compare to the power she held. The power of her noble, compassionate spirit. 

She noticed the way he was looking at her, and turned to face him.

“Well, we better get going. Let’s go to my house, we can deal with everything else later. For now we’ll just rest” she said, smiling lovingly at him.

He nodded. “Lead the way” he said, smiling softly but also lovingly at her.

They walked through the forest path, happy with each other’s company.


End file.
